U.S. patent number 6,990,708 [Application Number 10/319,597] was granted by the patent office on 2006-01-31 for steam cleaning apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Ariete S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Roberto Bargagna, Carlo Rosa.
United States Patent |
6,990,708 |
Rosa , et al. |
January 31, 2006 |
Steam cleaning apparatus
Abstract
Steam cleaning apparatus, comprising an upper handle, an
intermediate pole and a bottom head for production and supplying of
steam, provided with an instantaneous steam generator, a water
reservoir housed on the top of said pole in the region of the
handle, a duct for transferring the water from said reservoir to
said head and a water loading device housed on an associated
loading mouth formed above said reservoir, further comprising a
steam regulating device provided with a fixed bushing having a
hollow bottom end sealingly engaged on the top end of a sectional
pole and a valve body fixed inside said bushing, the top part of
said valve body being sealingly engaged on a discharge mouth of
said reservoir and provided with a through-hole able to be opened
and closed in an adjustable manner by a valve which can be actuated
on the outside of the device by means of suitable means movable
with respect to said bushing.
Inventors: |
Rosa; Carlo (Lecco,
IT), Bargagna; Roberto (Titignano Cascina,
IT) |
Assignee: |
Ariete S.p.A.
(IT)
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Family
ID: |
11442824 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/319,597 |
Filed: |
December 16, 2002 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20030115711 A1 |
Jun 26, 2003 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Dec 21, 2001 [IT] |
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GE2001A0101 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/320; 392/404;
392/405 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
11/34 (20130101); A47L 11/4086 (20130101); A47L
13/225 (20130101); B08B 3/00 (20130101); F16K
31/465 (20130101); B08B 2230/01 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
5/00 (20060101); F17C 7/04 (20060101); A47L
11/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;15/320-322,344
;392/394-406 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0 253 910 |
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Jan 1988 |
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EP |
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GE20010000027 |
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Mar 2003 |
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IT |
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Primary Examiner: Till; Terrence R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Stites & Harbison PLLC Petry;
Marvin
Claims
We claim:
1. Steam cleaning apparatus, comprising an upper handle, an
intermediate pole and a bottom head for production and supplying of
steam, provided with an instantaneous steam generator, a water
reseivoir housed on the top of said pole in the region of the
handle, a duct for transferring the water from said reservoir to
said head and a water loading device housed on an associated
loading mouth formed above said reservoir, further comprising a
steam regulating device provided with a fixed bushing having a
hollow bottom end sealingly engaged on the top end of a sectional
pole and a valve body fixed inside said bushing, the top part of
said valve body being sealingly engaged on a discharge mouth of
said reservoir and provided with a through-hole able to be opened
and closed in an adjustable manner by a valve which can be actuated
on the outside of the device by means for moving said valve with
respect to said bushing.
2. Steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, in which said
valve comprises at the top a conical regulating needle inserted
inside said through-hole, at the bottom a cylindrical shaft
sealingly engaged inside a cylindrical seat formed in the bushing
and laterally a cylindrical housing coaxial with said needle, a
seal being inserted in said housing and having, formed in it, a
water flow channel able to co-operate with one or more grooves
formed in a side wall of said needle.
3. Steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, in which said
seal is made of elastomer material.
4. Steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, in which a shaft
of said needle comprises a first radial tongue engaged with a
contact element formed inside a regulating ring fixed so as to be
able to rotate about a body of the fixed bushing, said ring being
able to cause rotation of said valve and said valve being provided
with means for alternating vertical displacement, co-operating with
suitable guides formed in the bushing and in the valve body.
5. Steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, in which said
valve body has, formed in it, an arc-shaped track inside which a
second radial tongue formed on the outside of said cylindrical
housing coaxial with the needle.
6. Steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, in which a
substantially vertical tooth engaged along with an inclined surface
formed at the top end of the valve body is formed on the top of a
first radial tongue, said tooth, during rotation of a regulating
ring in the opening condition, being able to allow a lowering of
the valve and therefore movement of the conical needle away from
the through-hole of the valve body.
7. Steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, in which a
projecting pin engaged with a track formed on a base of the
cylindrical seat provided in the bushing is formed on the bottom of
the shaft of the valve, said pin, during rotation of a regulating
ring in the closing condition, being able to allow a raising of the
valve and therefore a movement of the conical needle towards the
through-hole of the valve body.
8. Steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, in which said
grooves formed on the side well of the conical needle are made with
a gradually increasing cross section so as to form, together with a
channel of the seal, water flow passages with a gradually
increasing cross section depending on the degree of rotation of a
regulating ring.
9. Steam cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, in which a
regulating ring comprises externally a reference notch which allows
the user to determine the desired degree of opening of the device
for regulating the steam supply.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steam apparatus for cleaning
horizontal surfaces, in particular floors.
As is known, steam cleaning apparatus exist, comprising an upper
handle, an intermediate pole and a bottom head housing a sliding
unit which supplies the steam to a rag, a cloth or the like, which
is fixed to said sliding unit. The water necessary for production
of the steam is supplied to said head by means of pipes which pass
inside or outside the pole and is drawn from a reservoir which may
be located directly inside the head, inside the handle or outside
thereof. In all these cases, the bottom head has a heater or boiler
which converts the water into steam. One of the main drawbacks of
this apparatus is the difficulty in regulating the quantity of
steam which is to be produced by the sliding unit for cleaning.
This heater, moreover, increases considerably the overall volume
and reduces the compactness of the apparatus.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of
the known apparatus mentioned above, by means of a steam cleaning
apparatus which allows the user the possibility of regulating the
quantity of steam produced by the head, which is compact and the
dimensions of which may be varied according to needs.
This object is achieved by the present invention by means of a
steam cleaning apparatus, comprising an upper handle, an
intermediate pole and a bottom head for production and supplying of
steam, provided with an instantaneous steam generator, a water
reservoir housed on the top of the pole in the region of the
handle, a duct for transferring the water from this reservoir to
said head and a water loading device housed on an associated
loading mouth formed above this reservoir; said apparatus comprises
a steam regulating device provided with a fixed bushing having a
hollow bottom end sealingly engaged on the top end of the sectional
pole and a valve body fixed inside this bushing; the top part of
this valve body is sealingly engaged on a discharge mouth of said
reservoir and is provided with a through-hole able to be opened and
closed in an adjustable manner by a valve which can be actuated on
the outside of the device by means of suitable means movable with
respect to said bushing.
As regards the description of said cleaning head, this
instantaneous steam generator and in general the bottom part of the
cleaning apparatus, reference should be made to the text of the
description of the Italian Utility Model patent application Serial
Number GE2001U00027 filed on Sep. 26, 2001, in the name of the
Italian Joint Stock Company ARIETE S.p.A. at Macrolotto, Prato,
Italy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be
understood more clearly during the course of the following
description, considered by way of a non-limiting example and with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a side view of a steam cleaning apparatus according to
the present invention provided with a water loading device and
steam regulating device, which are housed in the region of an upper
handle of a sectional pole;
FIG. 2 shows a lateral section, on a larger scale, through the
water loading device of the apparatus according to FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a lateral section through the steam regulating device
of the apparatus according to FIG. 1 in the closed position;
FIG. 4 shows a lateral section through the steam regulating device
of the apparatus according to FIG. 1 in the half-open position;
and
FIG. 5 shows a cross section, on a larger scale, through the steam
regulating device of the apparatus according to FIG. 1 in the fully
open position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
With reference to the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 shows a steam
cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, comprising a
handle 1 inside which a water storage reservoir 2 is housed. This
handle 1 also houses internally a water loading device 3 provided
with associated cap 301 and a device 22 for regulating the steam
produced by an instantaneous steam generator housed inside a bottom
cleaning head 7. This loading device 3 is positioned opposite an
upper mouth 202 for loading the water inside said reservoir 2,
while said regulating device 22 is positioned opposite a bottom
mouth 201 for discharging the water from said reservoir 2. The
handle 1 comprises, in the vicinity of its sides, two openings 101
which render visible two sections 203 of the reservoir 2, which may
be made of transparent material for verification of the water level
inside the reservoir 2 or, alternatively, the reservoir itself may
be made of transparent material. A sectional pole 4 is connected in
a known manner to the bottom end of the handle 1 and consists, in
this example of embodiment, of four tubular elements 401, 402, 403,
404 housing a water flow duct 5 composed of four tubular sections
501, 502, 503, 504.
Obviously, both the tubular elements 401 404 and the tubular
sections 501 504 could be of a different number and have different
dimensions from that illustrated in the figure by way of example,
depending on the aesthetic requirements and convenience of use of
the apparatus. These tubular sections 501 504 are connected
together and to the reservoir 2 by means of sealed joints 601, 602,
603, 604; for example, the tubular section 501 is connected at the
top to the discharge mouth 201 of the reservoir 2 by means of a
first sealed joint 601 and, at the bottom, is connected to the
tubular section 502 by means of a second sealed joint 602. The
final tubular element 404 of the pole 4 is connected directly to
the cleaning head 7, which comprises an upper casing 701 and a
removable bottom sliding unit 702 made of impact-resistant
material. An electrical power cable 8 for steam operation of the
present apparatus is connected to this cleaning head 7.
FIG. 2 shows in detail the water loading device 3 engaged on the
loading mouth 202 of the reservoir 2. This device 3 comprises a cap
made of elastomer material 301 and provided with an upper hole 302
for entry of the air under atmospheric pressure inside the
reservoir 2, so as to allow descent of the water from this
reservoir 2 to the head 7, when required. This cap 301 is inserted
in a funnel-shaped seat 102 which is fixed at the top on the handle
1 and at the bottom is inserted, by means of suitable sealing means
103, inside the loading mouth 202 of the reservoir 2.
FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show in detail the steam regulating device 22
housed opposite the mouth 201 for discharging the water from the
tank 2. This device 22 comprises a fixed bushing 24 with a
substantially frustoconical shape, the cylindrical bottom end 241
of which, having a smaller cross section, is inserted, via sealing
means 25, inside the joint 601 of the first tubular element 401 of
the sectional pole 4 and the top part of which, having a larger
cross section, receives the bottom end of the handle 1. A valve
body 29 with a substantially cylindrical shape is fixed to said
bushing 24 by means of screws 42, only one of which is visible in
the figures. The top part 291 of said valve body 29 is inserted, by
means of sealing means 30, inside the discharge mouth 201 of the
reservoir 2 and comprises a frustoconical through-hole 292 inside
which the conical needle 283 for regulating a valve 28 is inserted.
This valve 28 comprises, at the bottom, a cylindrical shaft 282
inserted, by means of sealing means 27, inside an associated
cylindrical seat 242 formed above the bottom end 241 of the bushing
24 and coaxial therewith. A cup-shaped cylindrical housing 281,
inside which a conical seal 26 preferably made of elastomer
material is inserted, is formed above said shaft 282 and around the
body of the conical needle 283. A regulating ring 23, which is
rotatable with respect to said bushing 24, is provided around the
fixed bushing 24, at the top end of the first tubular element 401.
This ring 23 comprises externally a reference notch 231 and
internally a contact element 31 engaged with a first tongue 37
formed radially in the valve 28, at the height of the top part of
its bottom shaft 282. Said valve 28 comprises, at the height of the
cylindrical housing 281, a second radial tongue 38 which is engaged
inside a track 35 in the form of a circle arc (FIG. 5) formed
inside the valve body 29; this track 35 defines, substantially, the
length of the angle of rotation of the regulating ring 23 around
the fixed bushing 24. Above said first radial tongue 37, said valve
28 comprises a substantially vertical tooth 40 engaged on a surface
41 inclined downwards and formed on the top end of the valve body
29. On the other hand the bottom part of the shaft 282 of the valve
28 has, formed on it, a pin 43 able to engage with an inclined
track 39 fixed inside the base of the cylindrical seat 242 formed
in the fixed bushing 24. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the body of
the conical needle 283 of the valve 28 comprises three longitudinal
grooves 32, 33, 34 which are able to face a longitudinal channel 36
formed inside the seal 26 made of elastomer material. These grooves
represent three different degrees of opening the regulating device
22, i.e. the groove 32 represents a minimum degree of opening, the
groove 33 represents an intermediate degree of opening, while the
groove 34 represents a maximum degree of opening.
Let us consider operation of the regulating device 22 on the basis
of the figures described hitherto. In the position shown in FIG. 3,
the regulating device closes off the flow of the water from the
reservoir 2 to the first tubular element 401 of the sectional pole
4: in this case the longitudinal channel 36 formed in the internal
wall of the seal 26 does not face any of the longitudinal grooves
32 34 formed along the body of the regulating needle 283 of the
valve 28, the pin 43 of the shaft 282 is located above the track 39
formed in the bushing 24 and the second tongue 38 of the
cylindrical housing 281 of the valve is at the end of the track 35
of the valve body, basically in the opposite position to that shown
in FIG. 5. In this situation, the reference notch 231 of the
regulating ring 23 will indicate that the device 22 is closed and
there is no water flowing and therefore there will be no production
of steam by the cleaning head of the apparatus. By rotating the
ring 23 about the fixed bushing 24, the contact element 31, engaged
with the first tongue 37 of the valve 28, will cause rotation of
said valve 28 which is lowered vertically since the tooth 40 runs
along the inclined surface towards the bottom 41 of the valve body
29. This rotation of the needle 283 also causes a displacement of
the second tongue 38 of the valve along the track 35 of the valve
body 29 as far as the position where one of the longitudinal
grooves 32 34 is facing the channel 36 of the seal 26. FIG. 4
illustrates the case where there is intermediate opening of the
regulating device and therefore it is the central channel 33 which
faces said channel 26. In this situation the water from the
reservoir 2 enters into the frustoconical hole 292, through the
duct formed by said groove 33 and said channel 36, passes through
the shaft 282, the bottom end 241 of the bushing 24 and then
reaches the first tubular element 401 of the sectional pole 4 from
where it is conveyed to the instantaneous steam generator which
will consequently produce an intermediate steam flow. In order to
increase the production of steam to the maximum flow, it is
sufficient to rotate the ring until it reaches the position shown
in FIG. 5, with the groove 34 with a larger cross section facing
the channel 36 of the seal 26 and the second tongue 38 of the valve
having reached the end of its travel inside the track 35 of the
valve body 29. In order to interrupt the steam supply, it is
necessary to interrupt the supply of water to the pole 4 from the
reservoir 2: therefore by rotating the ring 23 in the opposite
direction to the previous direction, so as to pass from the
condition shown in FIG. 4 into that shown in FIG. 3, the valve
28--and in particular its bottom pin 43 which travels up the track
39 formed in the bushing 24--is made to rotate again. This upwards
displacement of the pin 43 causes raising of the valve 28 and in
particular the needle 283 which closes again the hole 292 and
therefore interrupts the water flow.
As it is possible to understand from the above description, the
advantages resulting from use of a steam cleaning apparatus
according to the embodiment shown above by way of example are
numerous, as are the constructional forms which may be adopted in
order to obtain these advantages without departing from the scope
of the accompanying claims.
* * * * *